Institutions

1817 saw the appearance of what is generally considered the world's first 'bicycle'. Invented by German Baron Karl von Drais, his Luafmaschine ( or 'running machine' in German) was swiftly picked up on in Britain and in late 1818, the first ever bicycle patent was applied for in the UK by a London coachmaker called Denis Johnson. It featured an elegantly curved wooden frame, allowing the use of larger wooden wheels. Several parts were made of metal, which allowed the vehicle to be lighter than the continental version. Commonly called the velocipede, it was nicknamed the hobby-horse or dandy horse.
Johnson's business was based in 69-75 Long Acre, London. Here he made at least 320 velocipedes in the early part of 1819. He also opened riding schools in the Strand (look up 29839 in this gallery) and Soho. A memorial green plaque from Westminster council was unveiled on the site of Johnson's former workshop in 1998. Fittingly, since 2013 the site has been occupied by Brompton with their Brompton Junction flagship store. Two views of the workshop under previous owner John Hatchett are included in this gallery: 22028 and 308527.
By the 1870s the dominant bicycle of the day was the Ordinary or Penny Farthing. However, it was almost exclusively ridden by relatively fit men. By the following decade though, the Safety bicycle opened-up riding on two wheels for all and was the catalyst for the first proper cycling boom in this country, particularly once the 'drop' or 'loop' frame was created, enabling women to ride a bike whilst wearing a dress. An example of both styles of bicycle can be seen together in 230784.
This gallery contains a mixture of street photography where bikes happen to feature, more formal portraiture of cyclists and their machines, South London cycle clubs (Putney BC featured in 230786 for example), as well as a large set of photographs of Herne Hill velodrome from the early 1960s. The velodrome opened in 1891 and in 1903 it became host to the Good Friday meeting which in its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s attracted crowds of 10,000 who came to watch world champions race and world records set. It was also a host venue during the London Olympics of 1948.
Finally, we've included three short film clips featuring cycling: a road race in Finsbury Park from 1947 and two clips from the mid-1980s highlighting the GLC's attempts to improve the lot of cyclists as they navigate around London's highways. The full version can be seen on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/LdnMetArchives